There is nothing like fresh basil, or fresh herbs of any kind, in your cooking. Even if you don't have a yard or green thumb, you can grow basil in a pot on a window sill. Traditionally, most basil you find in the grocery store is sweet basil or Genova basil. If you can find it (or grow it), there are a wide variety of basils that have wonderful flavors and make great pesto. This year, I am growing sweet basil, Genova basil, Thai basil and African Blue basil. All have a unique and wonderful flavor, but when combined into a basil pesto, you have a pesto with depth of flavor that you cannot achieve with only one variety. If you decide to try your hand at growing basil, make sure you snip off the flowers as they come. This forces the energy and nutrients of the plant into generation of big beautiful leaves perfect for your cooking. Use your basil fresh with tomatoes, mozzarella and balsamic vinegar or make your own Margarita Pizza. For long-term use, make a batch of pesto that can be put atop grilled chicken breasts or stirred into a pasta with olive oil or cream sauce. Place 1/2 cup pesto into small freezer bags and you will have single-serving pesto for use all winter long. The possibilities are endless!
I use a blend of basils, but use whatever you have available. Do splurge and get a good extra virgin olive oil and cheese- it makes a world of difference!
4 cups basil leaves, cleaned
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup nuts (pine or walnut)
5 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated (or I like to use a parm-romano blend)
salt and pepper to taste (around 1/4 tsp each)
In a food processor, blend basil, garlic, cheese, and nuts, adding the oil a little at a time. Continue adding oil and blending until you have achieved the desired consistency (I like mine to be a thick paste). Season with salt and pepper. Enjoy!
Want an easy but delicious dinner? Grill chicken breasts. Add one tablespoon of pesto atop each chicken breast for the last 5 minutes of cooking. Serve chicken with risotto and steamed zucchini.
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